Garibaldi

We left Eugene on Hwy 126 West and rode for about an hour towards the coast. The riding was very chilly through the shaded forested areas at that hour of the morning (around 8am). After hanging a right on to Hwy 101 (Pacific Coast Highway) we stopped for a coffee in Florence and then continued north up the coast. The riding was brilliant. It was a clear sunny day and the wind off the sea was bracing and invigorating, without being too cold. The coastline was enjoyable riding, lots of cornering and bluffs above the coast.

About 17km from Florence we stopped at a sea lion colony. There was an elevator that took you 200 feet down through the rock to a viewing platform in a cave at the bottom, where sea lions swim in from the sea and rest on the rocks. There was also a walkway at the top of the cliff where you could see about 100 sea lions on the rocks below.

After lunch in Newport we rode through the Siuslaw National Forest until we reached our stop for the day, the seaside community of Garibaldi.